Video · Inflatables & Skiffs
BOTE at ICAST 2024: Motorized Inflatables, Hybrids and Floating Docks
I walk the BOTE booth at ICAST 2024 with Zach and look at their motorized inflatables, family friendly hybrids and floating hangout gear.
What’s in this video
At ICAST 2024 Zach walked me through what’s new at BOTE. The big one for the US is their partnership with Newport. The Rover Aero had a Newport electric motor, about a 3 horsepower equivalent, that’s light enough not to make the board tail heavy. There’s also the new Fisher graphic lineup coming in 2025, and a Bixpy motor setup with its floating battery.
The Rackham Aero is their most feature rich fishing platform. You can sight cast standing, sit down, drop in a motor or their Apex pedal drive, or just paddle it, and it has a new slide track system for rod holders. The HD Aero is their most universal board and uses their stronger, stiffer, lighter construction. It rolls up into a bag you can take on a plane.
The new Hybrid series is for people stuck between a kayak and a paddle board. The Easy Rider and Low Rider have recumbent style seats, pop the paddle blade off and they’re a SUP, and they carry their width through a squared off tail for stability. I own a kayak rental business with plastic kayaks, and honestly these are the best paddling tandems I’ve used.
Then there’s the floating furniture. I already use their dock next to our 19 ft center console and it makes a small boat way bigger. They also had the Hangout 240 and a hammock style float I really liked.
Key moments
- 0:00 Introduction to ICAST 2024
- 0:17 Newport motor integration
- 1:59 Fishing kayak lineup
- 3:24 Hybrid series for families
- 7:38 Inflatable hangout suite
Quick takeaways
- The Rackham Aero can run a motor, a pedal drive or a paddle, so one board covers a lot of fishing styles.
- A squared off tail carries width to the back, which makes inflatable boards more stable.
- Inflatable tandems paddle and glide much better than most plastic tandems.
- A floating dock tied off next to a small boat adds a lot of hangout space.
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